Control circuit



Dec. 29, 1959 G. J. SAXENMEYER CONTROL. CIRCUIT Filed June 5, 1957 /O II /N VE N TOR GEORGE J. SAXENMEYER AGENT United States Patent CONTROL CIRCUIT George J. Saxenmeyer, Vestal, N.Y., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application June 5, 1957, Serial No. 663,676

3 Claims. (Cl. 315-168) This invention relates to control circuits and particularly to a circuit adapted to provide an output, or a I" control, of less than full output voltage substantially imediately whenever the circuit is set into operation, and ll output voltage, or control, shortly after the circuit is n operation, the less than full output voltage, or control, being also referred to hereinafter as a pre-energized output, or a less than maximum control.

The main object of the invention resides in the provision of a circuit which by virtue of an unique arrangement of its elementsprovides more operational controls and functions than have circuits of the prior art.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclosed, by way of examples, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is the preferred embodiment which shows the unique arrangement of the various elements in the control circuit.

Fig. 2 shows a modified output circuit of the invention.

In Fig. 1 the preferred embodiment utilizes a gas type electronic tube, for example, a thyratron 1, having a plate 2, a cathode 3 and a pair of control elements 4 and 5, which, when energized in response to appropriate control signals, ionize or fire the tube to render the latter conductive.

The plate has connected thereto a circuit path which includes cam operated contacts 6, of the type employed in cyclically operable card controlled machines, in turn connected to a positive 50 volt source. The cathode 3 has connected thereto a circuit path which includes a relay 8, in turn connected to ground. In parallel with said relay 8 is a 5,000 ohm 1 watt resistor R which provides an immediate ionizing path for the thyratron, thereby avoiding the high surge impedance ofthe relay. The cathode 3 has an output circuit path which includes a pluggable output socket 9 and 120 ohm 10 watt resistor 10 which prevents overloading the thyratron in the event of an external overload. The plate 2 has further connected to it a circuit path which includes contacts 8a operated under control of the relay 8, the circuit path terminating at a junction 11 between the resistor 10 and the socket 9.

In theoperation of the control circuit, whenever both control elements 4 and are energized at the same time by appropriate signals, the thyratron 1 is rendered con- Patented Dec. 29, 1959 lCC 1 high output voltage is applied to the socket 9 by way of ductive, assumingof course that contacts 6 are closed,

a path which includes contacts 6 and contacts 8a; two, the thyratron is extinguished by virtue of the fact that the contacts 8a act as a shunt across the thyratron; and three, a hold circuit is established for the relay 8 by means of a path extending from ground through the relay 8, resistor 10, contacts 8a, contacts 6 to the 50 volt supply. The cam controlled contacts 6 may be any other form of switching means, mechanical or electronic, depending upon the nature of the switching control desired.

Another embodiment is shown in Fig. 2, which embodiment shows how the low voltage output may be varied in magnitude by the use of a potentiometer 14 which is wired in the output circuit extending between output socket 9' and cathode 3' of a thyratron 1'.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims:

What is claimed is:

1. A control circuit adapted to issue an immediate momentary low output voltage followed by a high output voltage comprising: a source of voltage including a ground; a first series circuit comprising an operable switch, connected to said source of voltage, a resistance element connected to said ground, a thyratron having a plate, cathode, and at least one control element for firing the thyratron, during the operation of said operable switch, the cathode and plate respectively being connected to said resistance element and said operable.

switch; an output circuit connected to the junction be tween said resistance element and said cathode and operable upon the firing of the thyratron to issue immediately the momentary low output voltage developed across said resistance elementta second circuit including a relay connected between said cathode and said ground, and in parallel to said resistance element, said relay being energized in consequence to the firing of said thyratron; and a third circuit including means, controlled by said relay, connected between said output circuit and the plate of said thyratron, and operable to extinguish said thyratron and to provide the high output voltage immediately after the issuance of the momentary low output voltage.

2. A control circuit adapted to issue an immediate momentary low output voltage followed by a high output voltage comprising: a source of voltage including a ground; a first series circuit comprising an operable switch, connected to said source of voltage, a resistance element connected to said ground, a thyratron having a plate, cathode, and at least one control element for firing the thyratron, during the operation of said operable switch, the cathode and plate respectively being connected to said resistance element and said operable switch; an output circuit connected to the junction between said resistance element and said cathode and operable upon the firing of the thyratron to issue immediately the momentary low output voltage developed across said resistance element; a second circuit including a relay connected between said cathode and said ground, and in parallel to said resistance element, said relay being energized in consequence to the firing of said thyratron; and a third circuit including normally open relay contacts, adapted to close upon energization of said relay, connected between said output circuit and the plate of said thyratron, and operable to extinguish said thyratron and to provide the high output voltage immediately after the issuance of the momentary low output voltage.

3. A control circuit adapted to issue an immediate momentary low output voltage followed by a high output voltage comprising: a source of voltage including a ground; a first series circuit comprising a cyclically operable switch, connected to said source of voltage, a resistance element connected to said ground, a thyratron having a plate, cathode, and at least one control element for firing the thyratron, during the operation of said operable switch, the cathode and plate respectively being connected to said resistance element and said coperar ble switch; an output circuit connected to the junction between said resistance element and said cathode and operable upon the firing ofthe thyratron to issue immediately the momentary low output voltage developed across said resistance element; a second circuit including a relay connected between said cathode and said ground, and in parallel to said resistance element, said relay being energized in consequence to the firing of said thyratron; a third circuit including means, controlled by said relay, connected between said output circuit and the plate of said thyratron to extinguish said thyratron, and operable to provide the high output voltage immediately after the issuance of the m0mentary low output voltage; and variable resistance means interposed in said output circuit for adjusting the magnitude of said low output voltage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,901,663 Minkler Mar. 14, 1933 2,727,189 Barstow Dec. 13, 1955 2,761,998 Chen Sept. 4, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 678,535 Great Britain Sept. 3, 1952 

